Giving birth in reverse? Jack moves to college

Yesterday was move in day at the university! 

It’s worth saying this one hundred times - taking your kid to college is like giving birth in reverse. 

When you have a baby and are being discharged the nurse goes with you to the car, inspects the car seat for a minute, makes sure you know how to buckle that baby in and off you go. Just set free, just like that, into the world in charge of a human being. For several weeks I felt like what is happening here? I don’t know what to do with this human?!? It really was an odd feeling. (And it only happened with jack.) 

Taking him to college is that feeling in reverse - sooooooo I am just going to leave him Here? Not be responsible for him

All the time? Not boss him or look at him every day? Excuse me but what? 

And just like childbirth and newborn days there are bumpy unknown bits. Ooops I never got my id, ooops I locked myself out. 

It’s ok on my end (for now? I cried when they clapped us into the garage like one giant cheerleading section). And in all honesty, it’s often been more like party of four around here than party of five  the last year. But, there is still something about knowing he’s not just at another shift at Taco Bell and waiting for the door to open at 1020 (and watching the crazy ass bird fly into his hair on the ring cam). 

There is no ring cam at college mama…

 

Summering

We’ve sort of done all of the things and none of the things this summer. We took the kids on vacation last week - hitting Chicago, Indians dunes national park and Michigan. 

Sam went for a week to sleep away camp for gifted kids - college for kids. She didn’t love it, but our school did away with fifth grade camp (so sad) and I really believe in tje benefits of sleep away camp. I’ll be sending grant next summer (and maybe she will chose to try again). They come back with a new appreciation for mom and so much more independence. 

We saw SUE at the field museum (so cool!).

We went to the air zoo in Michigan. 

We made over the kids rooms, moving Sam into jacks bigger room and jack to the smaller room in preparation for the move to college this month. It was a HUGE job and took a long time. We also gave grants room a little quickie makeover so he wasn’t left out. 

The need for speed…we saw the new top gun and jack was instantly possessed by the desire to fly a jet. (Same thing for all of us 80s kids - some things never change). 

We swam in tje cold, crystal clear water of Lake Michigan. 

Enjoyed sunsets. 

Saw Chicago from Indiana.

Visited cloud gate. 

Got a much more grown up purple room. 

Grew things. 

Installed vintage wallpaper which caused some home improvement rage from an exhausted mom. 

Ate ice cream. 

Grant got his braces off. 

Made a quilt for a new nephew. 

Had an epic, historic rainfall that caused insane flooding. 

Took messy headed selfies. 

Visited the Garfield conservatory. (Amazing!)

Took Sam to the gorgeous central library in St. Louis. 

Went to mitsua and enjoyed all things Japanese. 

Went to the hottest hottest hellfire baseball game ever. We lasted all of 20 mins, it had to have been 125 degrees in that sun. We have had a boiling hot summer. (And prior to the insane flood we had terrible drought. So many days over 100 degrees.) 

And Sam is so much taller than grant! No not twins anymore. She’s made it to 5 feet. 

Beyond that we’ve spent way too much time on screens and I’m definitely getting ready for the big yellow angel to arrive…